


Here Comes the Bride

by orphan_account



Category: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:47:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24577075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Your typical Ranma romance, only slightly AU.
Relationships: Saotome Ranma/Tendou Akane
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	Here Comes the Bride

"Not in a million years, Pops! I don’t want to get married!" Ranma slammed his fist against the table top. "I've got my training to the think of!"

Genma Saotome didn't look at all perturbed by his son's outburst. "The arrangement was made over a decade ago and I certainly won't go back on my word now. My old friend Soun Tendo is already on his way here with his daughter, Akane. You'll meet your new bride this afternoon."

Ranma scowled. "Why can't she marry Ryouga? He's the one who's been moaning about not having a girlfriend all summer."

"Your brother has his own problems to deal with, and he's not the one succeeding the dojo, is he?" Genma crossed his arms sternly. "You have to start taking your responsibilities seriously."

"Old man…" Ranma clenched his fists, ready to take a swing at his infuriating father. "You are not the one who should be saying that to me!" His temper was rising, the air around him crackling from the scorching heat of his wrath. From the burn in his cheeks, he knew he was turning bright red.

The Saotome patriarch, very sensibly, had already dashed out the door. 

\---

"Is this Saotome Dojo?" A boy about Ranma's age was peering through the entryway. He was wearing a Chinese-styled jacket and carrying a pack over his shoulder.

"Hey. Are you a new student?" His father hadn't mentioned anything about it, but then he was always careless about these things. One poor kid had shown up while they were fumigating for termites, and had nearly been asphyxiated by the fumes.

"Uh. Yes, I am." The boy stood up straighter, correcting his posture. "I was told to meet Master Genma Saotome here?"

Ranma nodded. "That's my old man. He's gone to town on some errands, but you're welcome to wait for him here." If Genma was following his usual habits, he'd gone off to sulk for a while, and wouldn't be home until dinner. "I'm Ranma Saotome."

"I'm Aka – er, Akashi." He didn't offer a first name, and looked faintly embarrassed as he bowed in greeting. There was something odd about the boy that Ranma couldn't quite put his finger on. He was being overly polite and formal, probably out of nervousness. Akashi was smiling a little too hard. "My father was supposed to come with me for introductions, but he's been delayed because of some transportation problems. I decided to come first by myself."

"Looks like you came a long way." The boy's clothes were dusty from the road, and reminded him of Ryouga after he'd been lost for a few weeks. "Were you traveling in China?" Ranma guessed.

"Yeah. In Jusenkyo." The boy put his pack down by the back wall with the training gear, and stretched out a stiff arm. "Boy, that feels better!"

"Well, take a load off. I'm going to go ahead and do some training." Ranma cracked his knuckles. He really had to work off some tension before his father got home. 

Akashi suddenly got an interesting look in his eyes. "Can I interest you in a little sparring?"

Ranma wasn't surprised by the request. Most of the students were eager to test themselves against the Master's son, the one who who'd been tapped to inherit the Anything-Goes-Martial-Arts-School. Ranma he received at least three or four challenges a week. He shrugged. "Sure, but I gotta warn you I don't hold back on beginners." 

"Who said I was a beginner? I wasn't just traveling in Jusenkyo." Akashi grinned. "I was training there!" He stepped out on to the opposite side of the centerline from Ranma, quickly assuming a fighting stance.

Scarcely had they begun, when Ranma narrowly missed getting punched in the face. He stayed on the defensive, trying to gauge Akashi's level. He was very good, Ranma had to admit, and was using several difficult moves in combination without missing a beat. Excellent reflexes and almost perfect form. His speed wasn't bad, and the force of his blows was solid, though Akashi appeared a little short on muscles. But in a few years, with a little work, he'd make a formidable rival. His Dad was going to be pleased.

That's when the door banged open, and Genma Saotome entered, followed by a taller man in traveling clothes. Akashi immediately stopped fighting. "Father?"

"Akane!" The tall man appeared aghast. "What on earth are you doing? That's your future husband!"

Ranma did a double take. "Aka – You're Akane Tendou?!" He felt like he'd been hit in the head with a blunt object. Genma had a similarly shocked expression on his face, but Ranma didn't care. He rounded on his father and pointed at him accusingly. "What the hell is going on, Pops? He's a boy!"

"I-I can see that," was all Genma managed to say, trying to maintain a stern expression.

"How am I supposed to get engaged to a _boy_?" Ranma shouted. He would have kept ranting, but at that moment Akane burst into tears, and then turned and ran out of the room.

"Akane!" Soun tried to catch the boy's arm as he passed, but he wasn't quick enough. He turned to Genma, sheepishly. "I must apologize for my daughter's behavior. She can be sensitive about her condition."

"That's some condition," Ranma muttered. In no way, shape, or form was that kid a girl. This had to be some trick of his father's or maybe that old geezer Happosai had something to do with it. Was this some kind of plot to get him to accept their chosen fiancée more easily? But then why had Akashi, or Akane or whatever his name was, reacted like that?"

"I should go after her." Soun was putting down his luggage. "I'll explain everything once I get back, I promise."

Genma nodded. "I think that would be best." He glanced at Ranma. "Go with him, son. It's your fault, anyway."

He did a double take. "Why is it my fault?!"

"The first thing you need to learn about women, Ranma, is that it's always the man's fault," Genma recited sagely.

"But he's a guy!" Ranma wailed.

\---

About twenty minutes later, he found her down by the edge of the river, huddled up miserably on the grassy knoll. He wouldn't have recognized her if it wasn't for the Chinese jacket. She stood up when he caller her name, looking panicked. But she didn't run away.

Akane as a girl was at least three inches shorter than she'd been as a boy. Her build was much more delicate, and her eyes were bigger and brighter. The most noticeable difference, though, was her figure. She wasn't busty, but she did have a bust. The mannerisms that had seemed strange for a boy suddenly made perfect sense. 

Ranma was at a loss for words as he approached her, suddenly aware that he might have made a few serious errors in boy-girl decorum. "So… you're a girl," he blurted.

"Yes, I'm a girl!" she snapped. Her voice was high and sweet. "I'm not a boy at all. And if it weren't for this stupid curse, I wouldn't keep getting myself humiliated. I can't believe you're the one I'm supposed to be engaged to. You must think I'm some – some kind of freak!"

"Well, yeah…" Ranma admitted, and realized at once that he'd said the wrong thing. Akane appeared to be on the verge of tears again. "B-But it's not your fault, right? You didn't do it on purpose. And when I thought you were a guy I thought you were kinda cool."

"So you like me better as a boy?" Akane glared at him, arms crossed over her chest.

Ramna waved his hands frantically in denial. "Of course not! I'm not like that!" This was the weirdest conversation he'd ever had in his life, and there had been some pretty darn weird ones before. He'd met a few people who'd been cursed before, but never anyone who'd suffered such drastic physical effects. 

"You're kind of a jerk, Ranma." At least Akane was smiling now, just a little. She wasn't that bad looking, though she was definitely a tomboy in every way. If she cleaned up a little and put on a skirt, she might be kind of cute. Ranma could understand why their fathers had decided to pair them up. Akane had definitely inherited her father's skills, if Genma's stories were to be believed.

Ranma shook his head. He was against the whole notion of this marriage! His hormones were not going to change his resolve! "Well, come on." He gestured toward the dojo. "Let's go back and get this whole mess settled."

Akane sighed, brushing her hair out of her face and straightening her clothes. "You're right. At least there's no way they'll make us get married now. I guess that's one thing to be grateful for."

Ranma blinked in surprise. "So, you don't want to get married either?"

"Of course not. I told you I'm a committed martial artist. I've got my training to do. I don't have time to waste taking care of a husband." She had a determined look in her eye that seemed oddly familiar. 

"Are you sure you're really a girl?" Ranma couldn't help teasing. 

"Yes!" She pouted. "It's all because of that stupid cursed lake I fell into when Dad and I were at Jusenkyo. Now every time I get splashed with cold water, I'm a guy. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to have to keep my hair short and wear oversized clothes all the time?"

Ranma was about to tell her that she looked pretty good with short hair, but he caught himself in time. "How did you, uh, change back?"

Akane pointed to the river. "Warm or hot water usually does the trick. The current's not very strong on this side of the river, so the sun warmed up the water enough to change me back."

It was only then that Ranma noticed that much of Akane hair was damp, and there were spots of wetness on her coat. He wasn't sure why he did it, but Ranma took off his own coat, and held it out to her. 

"Here. The wind's picking up and you're going to catch a chill."

Akane looked at him suspiciously, but took the coat. "Thanks."

\--- 

"It's been decided that Soun and Akane will be moving in with us."

"What?" Ranma and Akane shrieked in unison.

Genma cleared his throat. "Clearly you children are too young to be married yet, and there's also the matter of Akane's curse to consider. I'm confident that it's only a matter of time before we find some way to break it. And until that happens, I think it's best that we have the whole family under one roof."

"Dad!" Akane turned toward her father. "Do you really think this is such a good idea?"

Soun Tendo was grinning ear to ear. "Didn't you always say you wanted to train in a proper dojo, sweetheart? Think of this as a golden opportunity!" 

She frowned, crossing her arms. "More like a free meal ticket. You're absolutely shameless!"

"It's my decision," Genma insisted, "And my decision is final." He had that stubborn expression on his face that meant his mind was well and truly made up. 

Ranma felt his temper rising again. He was about to give the Genma a piece of his mind, when Soun gave an ecstatic whoop and hugged Ranma so hard, it felt like his eyes were going to pop out of his head. "Thank you Saotome! Now I can finally stop my miserable wanderings. It's been so hard on Akane, not even being able to go to school regularly. Now we can finally settle down and have a normal life together. Isn't it wonderful?"

"Dad!" Akane rushed over to them. "He's turning blue!"

The next thing he knew, cold water was splashing in Ranma's face. Akane had upended a pitcher over her father's head. Ranma gasped for breath as those ridiculously strong arms released. Well, not so much released as they kind of blinked out of existence. Where Soun Tendo had been standing was now a rather silly looking Chinese sun bear and a pile of clothes.

"Let me guess," Genma adjusted his glasses. "Soun's cursed too?" 

Akane sighed and put the pitcher down. "I apologize, Mr. Saotome. We need to get him into the bath." The bear yawned and scratched his ears.

Ganma patted his gasping son on the shoulder. "You go take care of it, Ranma. Then show Akane and her father the guest rooms. I'll be in the dojo." He dashed out the door before Ranma could reply.

"Sorry about this," Akane groused, trying to get her father to budge from the living room floor. "I'll talk to my dad tonight and get him to change his mind. We'll be out the door by tomorrow morning, I promise."

"Don't worry about it." Ranma shrugged, and moved to help her. "My Dad always seemed to be fighting with yours in his stories. I bet they get into the same old arguments and decide they never want to see each other before the week's out."

"Thank you." Akane smiled at him, really smiled, and Ranma's heart skipped a beat. His face was turning bright red again, this time for an entirely different reason.

Desperately, he tried to cover up his embarrassment. "W-well, just remember that I'm totally against this marriage thing. So don't you get too comfortable. We don't need anymore freeloaders!"

"Hmmph!" Akane glared at him, hands on hips. "Like I'd ever marry a rude, immature, brat like you! I don't know what my father was thinking!" The bear tried to look innocent, as his daughter dragged him down the hall by the ear.

"Same here!" Ranma shouted back, ears burning. "You are _so_ uncute!"

\---

The End


End file.
